On a 2019 or newer Honda Passport, you reset the oil life from the Maintenance Minder menu with the ignition on, using the steering wheel controls. Do it only after the oil has actually been changed. The exact menu names vary by model year and trim, so confirm them in the Maintenance Minder section of your owner’s manual.
Resetting the display doesn’t change oil or fix anything. It only restarts the countdown, so a reset without service leaves you with a false “100%.”
First, Identify Which Reminder You’re Seeing
Three different things can light up on a Passport, and only one is a reset job.
- Maintenance Minder message: A “service due” style message with a wrench symbol, plus a code like A or B, and sometimes a number. This is the reminder this guide covers.
- Red oil pressure warning: A red oil can symbol. Pull over safely and shut the engine off. Check the oil level and have the vehicle looked at before driving further. Never reset anything for this.
- Check engine light: An amber engine symbol means the system has stored a fault. A Maintenance Minder reset won’t clear it or repair it.
One note on years. The Passport nameplate was used in the 1990s and early 2000s on a vehicle that was a rebadged Isuzu, and it doesn’t have the Honda Maintenance Minder described here. The procedure below applies to the Honda-built Passport that returned for 2019.
How to Reset the Oil Life on a Honda Passport
This is the free, owner-operated method. You don’t need a scanner or any purchase. Honda has changed how its menus are laid out over the years, so I’m describing the general sequence rather than promising exact button names.
- Confirm the oil and any other listed services were actually completed.
- Park, and turn the ignition to ON without starting the engine. Some Passports use a push-button start, so press it without your foot on the brake. Your manual describes the exact ignition-on state.
- Use the steering wheel controls to open the settings or vehicle information menu in the driver information display. On some years or trims, the option may instead be on the center screen.
- Look for the maintenance entry. Honda typically labels it something close to “Maintenance Info,” but check your manual for the exact name on your vehicle.
- Select the reset option and confirm it when prompted.
- Expect the oil life to return to 100% and the service message to clear.
Oil Life Only vs. All Maintenance Minder Items
The Maintenance Minder uses main codes and numbered sub items. Code A generally means an oil change. Code B means oil and filter plus a set of inspections. The numbers added to those codes point to other services, such as tire rotation, filters, or fluids.
What each number means can differ by model, so read the item list in your owner’s manual. Some displays reset everything listed as due, while others let you pick items. Read the confirmation screen. If it shows a transmission fluid or tire rotation item you haven’t done, don’t reset it just to clear the screen.
If the Reset Fails
- Make sure the ignition is on and the engine state matches what the manual describes. Some menus won’t respond while driving.
- Check that you’re in the maintenance menu and not a similar-looking settings screen.
- Try again, and watch for the confirmation step. A quick tap past the prompt can skip it.
- If the message returns, a sub item may still be due. Compare the code on screen against your manual.
- If the menu is missing or the screen is frozen, a Honda dealer can check it. Bring the vehicle in sooner if a red warning or check engine light is also on.
Optional Supplies for a DIY Oil Change
You don’t need anything special to reset the minder, but many owners do the oil service themselves. Before buying anything, confirm your engine’s oil grade, capacity, and filter style in the owner’s manual. Filter and drain plug hardware differ by engine and year, so don’t order by guesswork.
If your filter is the spin-on type, a decent wrench set helps with tight or awkward filters. Match the size to your filter before you buy. Check current pricing on Amazon, since it varies.
Oil Filter Wrench Set
Useful for DIY oil changes once you’ve confirmed your filter style and size in the manual.
For the rest of your toolbox, our list of must-have tools for every DIY car owner covers the basics. Owners of Hondas with the small turbo engine have a different concern, covered in our piece on Honda 1.5L turbo oil dilution, but that isn’t the Passport’s engine.
FAQ
Can I reset the Passport’s oil life without changing the oil?
You can, but you shouldn’t. The monitor estimates oil life from how the engine is used, and a reset tells it the oil is fresh. If it isn’t, the reminder will be wrong, and you could run old oil well past its limit.
Does resetting the Maintenance Minder turn off the check engine light?
No. The Maintenance Minder is a service reminder, and the check engine light reports a stored fault. A reset won’t clear or repair it. Have the fault diagnosed, and treat a red oil pressure warning as an immediate stop.
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